MIT Offshoot Develops Solar Fridge for Rural India

Promethean Power produced a solar-powered refrigeration unit for rural India, where a frail electrical infrastructure has created a need for off-grid cooling.

Promethean Power Systems - an upstart founded on MIT's $100K Entrepreneurship Competition grant in 2007 - has developed a solar-powered refrigeration unit for rural India, where frail electrical infrastructure calls for off-grid cooling.

The standalone device utilizes a hybrid compressor system consisting of a diesel generator and three-to-five 180-watt solar panels, Cleantech reports. Instead of Freon, the cooler uses the so-called Peltier effect - a thermoelectric process in which a temperature change is achieved via current alternation. The company acknowledges inferior cooling capability when compared to conventional and Freon-based units, but says it has the potential of displacing vapor-compressors on a smaller scale.

You can find out more about Promethean's work in the developing world here or learn about the Peltier effect on our sister-site Gearlog.com.